You've driven across it; now get to know the behemoth icon on foot.

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A CLOSER LOOK: It would be incorrect to call the impulse to constantly drive by or over or through the same thing over many years without ever stopping the car for a closer look a particularly Californian thing. It is a thing, we suspect, with anyone who drives or uses vehicles; we have to get from point A to point B and we haven't got the time to dally around along the route. But when that route is a world-famous landmark, that's something different. Have you driven over the Golden Gate Bridge? If you've lived in the Golden State for any length of time, we'll guess that's a big yes. Have you gotten out to take a stroll along the span, or even just get a closer look? Fewer people can probably say yes. But there's a way to remedy that. Okay, two. One? Walk the bridge. And two? Join a Golden Gate Bridge Tour.

IT'S THE YEAR:The bridge is getting a big 75th anniversary party later this month so pretty much all eyes are on the icon. We learned there were new tours via the Golden Gate 75th Anniversary site, which intrigued us, but what intrigued us most are the evening tours. Tour goers get "exclusive access to the Bridge sidewalk during non-public hours!" Yeah, you better believe that's an exclamation point. We dearly love slipping into places during non-public hours and having it be a-ok that we're there; it's like the best of both worlds. The evening tour is a bit more expensive at $21.95, but we'd go that route, the better to enjoy San Francisco lit up. Oh, and this is worth noting: There are no tours from November to February, so get on those reservations if you want to enjoy the bridge during its grand 75th year.

INTERESTING FACTOID: The bridge tour site says "1,929,986,448 vehicles" crossed the bridge between its 1937 debut and April of last year. How many of those autos were you in? That's a big number and should inspire all of us to try seeing the bridge from a new angle.